This invention relates to cooking apparatus, and in particular to cooking apparatus capable of effecting a kneading step, fermenting step and baking step either separately or in a continuous way.
Recently, the hand-making of a food such as a mothi (Japanese rice cake), noodle, bread etc. is in vogue among the general household. However, a known cooking apparatus can normally perform only one or two of a kneading step, fermenting step and baking step. For example, an electric mochi making apparatus can perform only a kneading step and an electric oven can perform one or both of a fermenting step and baking step. For example, a break making apparatus includes all the three steps. A bread is made by kneading dough while adding yeast fungi, warming to a fermenting temperature of about 38.degree. C. for about 50 minutes, and baking the fermented dough at the baking temperature of about 250.degree. C. in an oven. In a food such as a bread requiring all three steps, an electric mochi making apparatus for kneading and an oven for fermentation and baking are necessary and all the three steps can not be performed continuously in a single apparatus. There is a growing demand for a cooking apparatus which can perform all three steps. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7352/76 discloses such apparatus.
This prior apparatus comprises a kneading vessel for automatically kneading dough by a kneading blade, a fermenting chamber disposed above the kneading vessel to warm the kneaded dough for fermentation, and an oven disposed above the vessel to bake the fermented dough. The kneading, fermenting and baking of the dough can be effected automatically under predetermined conditions. However, the apparatus becomes bulky, since the individual steps are separately effected in the respective sections of apparatus. Furthermore, a dough needs to be moved from one section to another during the making process of a bread. Thus, a combersome operation is involved and, moreover, there is a risk that the dough will be cooled and degraded during the movement from one section to another of the apparatus. A certain amount of skill is also required.